If You've Got the Nerve

I walked into the Great Hall at breakfast half asleep. My short dreams hadn’t been pleasant in the least the night before.

“Oh, they were so pretty…” I scrunched my brow at the rather large group of girls that was gathered around a very mournful looking Penny Landson. Her hands delicately handled a bunched handful of wilted flowers.

“I bet Snape really could have reversed them. If only you were a Slytherin…” May Swanson was muttering dramatically to her.

“That Lee Jordan…” another one added spitefully. One eyebrow raised in question, I took my seat in front of the very boy who seemed to be hated by the entire group of agreeing girls. Lee sighed horribly and dropped his head in one hand to stare dejectedly at the group.

“I spilled my batch of Wilting Brew on her bouquet in Potions yesterday. I don’t know why she was carrying it around. Showing off, I suppose.” I shook my head and grabbed a bowl of porridge.

“Who did she get them from?” I asked with another glance at the girls. He shrugged. My mind shot back suddenly to the conversation with Professor Trelawney. That couldn’t be right, though. I wasn’t in Lee’s Potions class, so how could I have witnessed it?

“Something on your mind, Nox?”

“What?” I looked up at Lee who was watching me. “Oh, no. Sorry, just a bit tired I guess.”

“You never were a morning kind of girl,” He said with a smile. I smiled back automatically.

“Good morning, ladies!” Lee shot George a particularly sour look as the twins settled themselves down at the table with us. George immediately dug in to the food, while Fred dropped his school bag down and collapsed on his seat without looking up. I stared at him. He had the same book from the old Transfiguration classroom shoved in his face, a look of utter confusion across his features. I watched him with amusement as he mouthed the words silently to himself.

“Ah, she’s always been a bit of a show off. Bet those were just a bunch of flowers she picked herself.” George commented after Lee recounted his story. He shoved a piece of toast in his mouth. Lee looked somewhat brighter until his eyes landed on Fred. He looked confused then looked almost horrified when he saw the book his friend was holding.

“Fred…Fred, are you reading French? Is he reading French?” he suddenly turned his incredulous look on me. George choked on his toast. After braving a coughing fit, he stared at his brother as if he’d just realized they were identical.

“I was until you interrupted,” Fred shot back, finally looking up from the pages and casting away his confused demeanor to adopt a cool, nonchalant one.

George seemed to catch his bearings again, “Why in the world are you reading French?” Fred gave his brother a frustrated look, but I cut in then.

“Maybe he’s trying to impress the girls,” I offered with a grin and a significant look at a blue clad girl that was heading past us. Fred shot me a glare. We all jumped when a high pitched squeal left the girl that I had just nodded towards. She had stopped just past us, her eyes locked on the book in Fred’s hand.

“Magnifique!” she exclaimed in her thick accent. Fred stared at her in what could only be described as horror as she gestured frantically to the book in his hand and babbled on in French. Finally, he seemed to gain some sense and gave her a weak smile at which she squealed before running off to giggle with a group of her friends. They all cast frequent glances back at us. I frowned, moving my glare from her to Fred.

“Alright, hand over the book. You actually are impressing them.” Fred turned to me then grinned.

“Then I’m keeping it,” My jaw dropped.

“You can’t read a bit of French!”

“They don’t know that!”

“You don’t even know what the title is!” I protested. He tapped the spine of the book.

“It’s right there, Nox.” I glared viciously at him.

“Don’t worry,” he said, his grin not faltering, “I’m sure we can find you a book in Russian to impress the boys.” I glared at two of the Durmstang lot that were marching proudly by just then, their noses in the air.

“Why do I have the feeling I wouldn’t enjoy reading their language?”

“Because the boy you want to impress doesn’t speak a bit of Russian.” George put in slyly with a smirk. I felt my face heat up as I glared at him. He had taken on a tone much too close to the one I had used on his brother moments ago.

“Shut your trap, George Weasley.” I growled before snatching the book out of Fred’s hand and placing it in my lap. He moved to grab it back, but shrank back from the look I gave him. I shoved the book in my bag and tied it closed securely.

“And stop glaring at me, Jordan.” I sat up straight again in time to see the sour expression returned to Lee’s face while George chucked his remaining bit of toast at him.

“No throwing food, Mr. Weasley.” Professor McGonagall snapped as she walked past. George snatched up another piece of toast then stood, swinging his bag over his shoulder.

“Let’s go, Fred. We’ll get that owl sent out before class.” He mumbled around the bread in his mouth. Fred nodded and jumped over the table to join his brother. He ducked down and slipped the book back out of my bag before he left with a satisfied grin on his face.

“Come on, Nox. You’ve got Defense now, don’t you? I’ll walk with you.” I left the hall with Lee to head for my day of lessons.

The day went smoothly with only a small bump in Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall made the announcement that the Yule Ball would be taking place on Christmas day. Immediately, the girls in class broke out in giggles. I had a feeling that Professor McGonagall regretted having to make the announcement.

“Won’t this be entertaining?” I said sarcastically a few days later as Lee and I passed another flock of giggling girls. He grinned.

“Not one for dancing?”

“Not at all,” I agreed as we climbed through the portrait hole and in to the common room. We both joined Harry, Ron, and Hermione by the fire and I grudgingly took out my Transfiguration homework. Lee set to work helping me like usual. I got distracted not long after though when Fred and George came to join us. Fred had a proud look on his face and I understood when he dropped a book down on the table next to me. I glanced at the cover. Practical Transfiguration Uses. I looked up at him in astonishment.

“You cheated,” I protested.

“Did not!” he fired back and collapsed on the couch.

“There is no way you’ve finished that French book.”

“On the contrary, little girl. He had his nosed shove in that thing all class. Got a detention from Snape for it. Then he dashed off and came back with that one,” George pointed at the rather thin book that I was now flipping through. Then he gave me a stern look that you would only believe serious if you didn’t know the Weasley twins. “What on the world have you done to my brother?” I laughed and shook my head, dropping the book and going back to my essay.

“So…you lot got dates for the ball yet?” Fred asked casually.

“Nope,” replied Ron.

“Well, you’d better hurry up, mate, or all the good ones will be gone,” Fred replied almost accusingly.

“Who’re you going with, then?” Ron asked, ignoring the tone.

“Angelina,” I looked up at this.

“What?” I asked in a bit of shock. George cast me a significant glance that I ignored. I knew they got on well, but I hadn’t even imagined that Fred actually fancied her.

“Oi! Angelina!” I jumped at the loud shout, having zoned out completely.

“What?”

“Want to come to the ball with me?” I glowered at the back of Fred’s head.

“All right, then,” Angelina finally called back.

When Fred and George had finally left, I closed my book with a snap and shoved it back in my bag. “Let’s finish this tomorrow, Lee.” I muttered while rolling up my half finished essay. He looked at me with concern but nodded slowly.

“Okay, Nox. Anything you want.”

I dragged my things upstairs and flung them next to my bed. I didn’t notice I had a visitor until I almost landed on top of him. Nexus hooted angrily and flapped his wings as I threw myself on the bed next to him. “Sorry,” I murmured. He seemed to sense my mood like usual and nudged me affectionately then held out his leg to which a small letter was tied. I recognized my mum’s neat handwriting as soon as I opened the letter. It couldn’t really be considered a letter though. There was only one sentence scrawled in looping letters.

Your Christmas present will be arriving early.